1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a method for alleviating, i.e., ease or even eliminate, the sensation of pain, particularly pain arising from, or sensed in, bone-proximate soft tissue regions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pain relieving techniques are of significance in view of the large number of patients which suffer pain of a wide variety of types. The intake or administration of analgesics represents a considerable burden on the metabolism of the patient, particularly if a long-term intake or administration regimen is necessary. In many instances, the analgesic must be administered with increasingly larger doses, as the duration of the treatment regimen increases, in order to maintain alleviation of pain. Moreover, many patients have analgesic intolerance, or an allergy which prevents the administration of certain types of analgesics.
Pain arising in the bone-proximate soft tissue region is of special significance. Such pain can occur in the entire body. The past histories, i.e., the etiologies or pathogenies of pain arising in these soft tissue regions are not uniform.
Known therapy procedures are directed at the removal of the painful region and/or partial immobilization or enervation, i.e., severing the relevant nerve(s), of the affected region by surgical measures.
Temporary analgesia can also be achieved by the infiltration, i.e., injection, of local anesthetics, with and without the additional infiltration of corticosteroids.
Physical therapy is another known techniques which attempts to produce anodynia, i.e., an anodyne state.
In the case of extremely severe pain, it is also known to attempt to achieve a anodynia by irradiation with x-rays or gamma-rays.
Despite the employment of the above techniques, individually or in combination, some patients still experience pain which cannot be alleviated.